


To Lose Someone.

by CallmeKitten



Series: To Lose. [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Infidelity, M/M, Not Beta Read, Self-Harm, Suicide Attempt, happy ending for harry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-08
Updated: 2017-10-08
Packaged: 2019-01-10 14:01:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12300615
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CallmeKitten/pseuds/CallmeKitten
Summary: Harry didn't know where it all went wrong. They were so in love in the beginning, but now... Now he listens to him get up in the middle of the night to leave him for another man.





	To Lose Someone.

**Author's Note:**

> there could be so much more put into the tags as warning... but it would give too much away. so. 
> 
>  
> 
> A/N: i am not giving up on my other stories, i just wanted to write something out of my comfort zone for a bit.

They had been married for three weeks when it first started. 

Harry wasn't really asleep when he felt the bed shift as Severus eased his way out of the bed. It was two in the morning. He listened to his husband rustle through their shared wardrobe as he dressed, and listened as their bedroom door softly open and close. 

He cried that time, because he knew exactly what was going on. 

That night, Severus stopped touching him, and Harry made no comment on the fact. 

The months rolled by, and while Severus seemed happy with whoever he was seeing behind Harry's back, the dark-haired wizard was not. He was slowly deteriorating from the inside out. 

Maybe that was why Severus stopped touching him. 

He had dark circles beneath his eyes, and his ate less and less. And Severus either didn't notice, or didn't mention the fact Harry started wearing more long sleeves, and the face the cuffs of his sleeves were sometimes lined with blood. He was no longer that young, handsome, bursting with youth young man Severus agreed to marry when Harry turned twenty-one. 

 

After a year of marriage, Harry simply gave up, and he knew what he was going to do. 

Even though Severus had been treating no better than a pile of shite, Harry still loved him, because that was who he was. Harry could have loved the person sent to assassinate him, if such a thing had happened. 

It was the night of their one year anniversary and Severus forgot, because he never came home that night. And when he tried to sneak in the next morning after Harry was already awake, he reeked of another mans stench and cologne. 

When Severus left later that day for work, he would be coming home to a surprise, if he came home of course. He rarely did these days. 

Harry stared at himself in the mirror, charmed to not talk back because he had enough of the comments about his lack of weight or how his unmanageable hair laid limply against his forehead lifeless as the look in his eyes. He had stopped smiling months ago. 

And not even a hour after Severus had left, Harry sliced both of his wrists wide open with one of Severus' very own scalpel he used when chopping potions ingredients. 

Severus didn't come home to the corpse of his husband. Though he would have if Hermione didn't pop by to see her best friend. 

The bushy-haired witch found him in the bathroom with barely a hunt of a pulse. 

Harry begged with the little breath he had to leave him to die. He did it on purpose, and to just let him go, but Hermione was having none of it. Harry black out from the blood loss soon, but not after he saw the glow of Hermione's silvery otter. 

She hastily sent a patronus to Ron before she picked the wizard up. With how light he was, she didn't even need a feather light charm, and carried him through the floo in living room just a few doors down straight to St. Mungos. 

The healers were barely able to save him. He almost succeeded in ending his life. 

 

It was nearly three days later when Harry came to, and he didn't acknowledge anyone in the room, he simply stared at the ceiling and ignored the dull pain coming from every muscle and bone in his body. 

He heard Hermione rush out to notify the healers that he was awake before sitting back down beside Ron who was also in the room. 

He let the healers do their job, ask their questions, but he didn't speak. He didn't answer the questions of 'why' he did it or how he was feeling, he simply didn't speak. They left with a flurry of mint green robes a few minutes later with sighs and worried 'tsk's'. 

But when he saw the dark shadow of Severus walk in after the healers, Harry shot up with a surprising surge of rage. 

"Get the fuck out." He stated, though calmly, it was filled with hatred. 

There was a mix of anger, surprise, and sadness that crossed Severus's face. 

Ron and Hermione were looking between the two of them, their eyes searching, calculating (more so on Hermione's part), and silent. 

"I just wanted to see if you're alright, Harry," Severus said carefully. 

Harry laid back down, with a wince as his wrist hit the metal guard rail of the hospital bed. He was surprised he wasn't in strapped so he couldn't hurt himself again. 

"You see I'm still alive, you can get out now." Harry said simply, his words eerily empty. 

Severus shot a look to the other occupants of the room and opened his mouth to argue, but Ron spoke up. "I think you should just go, we'll let you know if anything happens." 

"That's alright, he doesn't need to know anything." With that said, Harry went back to tracing the lines of the ceiling with his eyes. 

And Severus left. 

 

Harry wasn't discharged from the hospital. Due to the nature of his incident, as the healers referred to it, he was transferred to the mental health ward after his body was stable from the shocks of almost dying. Harry still wished it wasn't a close call. 

They tried to get him to talk, about the feelings behind his suicide attempt, but he refused to speak, to anyone. After those words to Severus, Harry had yet to speak with anyone, even his friends. It had been a month in the mental health ward. 

Harry didn't understand why he stayed there, he was an adult and could legally check himself out and go home. But-- he did know why. He knew under all the emotions piling inside him, he wanted help. And the fact he could go home and find some stranger in his bed with his husband. 

After a month and two days, Harry decided he was going to speak. 

\- - - 

"Good morning, Harry," The therapist greeted as she made herself a cup of tea from the platter on the table between them, "Are we ready to talk today? We don't even have to talk about what happened, we can talk about anything." She said in a patient voice. 

It took Harry a few moment to find the words, but he looked up at Ms. Lane, or Diana as she asked to be called during their first visit, and spoke for the first time in almost two months. 

"Are you married?" He simply asked, look down at his untouched cup of tea. It was black tea, an asian variation with ginseng and honey that Harry was fond of. 

Harry missed the quick look of shock cross the older woman's face but was quickly masked, "I am. I've been with my husband for almost twenty years, why do you ask?" She responded conversationally. 

"I was simply asking, to see if you could relate." 

Diana waited in silence for Harry to explain. 

"When Severus and I got married, that was the happiest day of my life." Harry wished he could smile at the memory, but nothing happened. He thought he forgot how to smile, it didn't matter to him, he had nothing to smile for anyways, "I was so in love, and I wished the day would never end." Harry gripped his tea cup and his eyes darkened in silent anger, "If I was only not so naive and blind." 

"Are you not happily married?" Now here came the clinical questions, Harry thought vaguely, but he knew it was going to all come out sooner or later. 

"I was." He said again, past tense, "For the first three weeks. And then he started sneaking out in the middle of the night. Never at the same time, he varied it form late night to early morning. He always thought I was asleep when he left and came back, but I was always away to hear him dress and leave, and to come home smelling of another." 

Harry watched as the witch made a few notes on the muggle notebook that usually stayed empty and blank through their daily sessions. 

"He was having an affair?" She asked simply. 

"Is. He is having an affair," Harry corrected, "He never came home after he left the previous night the day I tried to kill myself. He is very much still having an affair." 

"I see. How did this make you feel, the knowledge of him having his affair?" She asked in an airy voice, picking up that he was on the verge of exploding again. 

"I refused to believe it at first, even though I _knew_ what he was doing. I wanted to hold onto him for as long as I could. But," A tear finally slid down his cheek but he made no move to wipe it away, "Then he stopped touching me, even if I initiated it, he would say he wasn't feeling it and sleep on the couch. I just stopped trying after a while."

"I didn't have the will to do anything after that," Harry added, "Severus... I loved him, I still do, so much, and then knowing he was throwing my love away like that? I hardly ate or slept, with the knowledge of him leaving in the middle of the night, even the nights he stayed, I couldn't leave myself vulnerable as I would be asleep." 

Diana let him gather his thoughts again as he got a faraway look in his eyes, "I cut myself too, with the same scalpel I slit my wrists with. You don't even have to ask, I did it because it was pain I could control. I couldn't control how much my heart hurt when I looked at him or when he gave me as kiss before he left for work, knowing everything I did. But with the cutting, the scars were my own, my own pain." 

The witch nodded, "This is all completely understandable," Not what Harry was expecting her to say, "I can't say I would do the same if my husband ever had an affair with my knowledge, but I can understand your pain," She gave him a sweet smile, something Harry rarely got nowadays. And Harry clamped up. 

"I think that's all I can say today," He said tightly, already standing up, "Can we meet tomorrow after lunch, Ron and Hermione said they would be here tomorrow." 

"Of course, I'll see you tomorrow then Harry," She said as she took another sip of her tea, "And Harry," His hand was hovering over the doorknob, "I would advise for you to start talking to your friends, but if I am your first step, then I am sure they would not mind waiting longer for you." 

He simply nodded and left. 

 

Harry did speak with Ron and Hermione when they visited the following morning, but it was not about anything that had to do with him or why he was in the mental ward of St. Mungos. 

They talked about quidditch, about them still trying for a baby after their many fail attempts, and about how their friends where doing and just pointless things. 

They never once mentioned Severus. 

Harry felt better after seeing his friends, so when he arrived for his next session with Diana he felt lighter about talking about everything. 

 

"Why did you stay with Severus?" Was her first question of the day. 

Even though Harry felt better, he faltered at the question, the question he has been asking himself ever since this all started. 

Harry shrugged, "I don't really know," He paused, "I guess, my love for him. I didn't want to believe he was being so horrible to me." Harry smiled bitterly to himself, "He played the part so well, the part of the 'savior's' boyfriend. We dated as soon as I finished my seventh year, well eighth as everyone called it, so we dated for almost three years before we got married, and we lived together a year before we married too. And he never left in the middle of the night then. He-He played me, manipulated me into loving him, so he could humiliate me in watching me fall apart as he lived a fulfilling life." He spat and crossed his arms tightly over his chest as a shield. 

Diana nodded, writing a few things down in her notebook again. Harry thought she looked rather studiously when she wrote. 

"Did you ever talk to Severus about this?" 

"I couldn't, I couldn't ever find the words," Harry said, "I couldn't lose him, I loved him too much, I couldn't throw those accusations at him in fear he left me." 

"What do you do for a living Harry?" She asked, changing the subject. 

"I-I stay at home. I never found anything that really interested me." He said, grateful for the change of subject, "I used to want to be an auror, but after Voldemort I couldn't. I tried lots of things, from being a bartender to working with Bill as a curse breaker, but nothing fit. And I had the money not to work, so I didn't. Severus didn't mind, and I took up a few hobbies. I found I like painting, I have a few paintings I made hanging up in the children's wing here actually." 

The witch seems surprised, "You're the one who painted all those moving duckling pictures and everything else?" 

Harry gave her a small smile, the first one he has given anyone in quite some time, "Yes, I donated them under a pseudonym so people didn't freak out." 

"Understandable," She stated with a small smile of her own, "So you enjoy painting, did you ever thing of doing that for a living?" 

"Actually..." Harry thought, "No, I didn't think I was good enough to try to make money off my work." 

"Nonsense, if those paintings are anything to go off of, I believe you have real potential as an artist." Now she gave him a beaming smile, "Would you like me to get you some art supplies so you can paint here? I suppose they don't let you do much here."

Harry shook his head, "They don't, I'm still not allowed to have an knives." Harry said with a frown, "Some supplies would be nice if it's not a problem." 

"I'll get on it as soon as we are finished here," She agreed warmly, "Now, I know that this is all so much on you while still in such a delicate state, but Harry, the relationship you are in is not healthy for you." Harry's face twisted into something sour, "A marriage should be filled with love and mutual respect, but you aren't getting either from Severus. You deserve better." 

Harry's face slowly dropped and he looked down, "I know," He whispered, "But-But he was my first _real_ love, and I still love him so much." 

"I know, I know," She soothed, reaching across the table to place her hand over Harry's, "Now, eventually I would like to have a session with both you and Severus, but I will not do that until you are ready to put everything out on the table." She added as she saw Harry's face flash with fury, "I would like to ask for you to keep a journal of everything you feel. You can write about how you feel, how you feel about Severus or what you would say to him today everything you couldn't before. You won't have to show me any of this, this is simply just for you." She stated as she brought out a muggle notebook and pack of pencils similar to hers. 

"Ok, I can do that. But-" He looked away for a moment, "I don't want to talk to him any time soon. I-It hurts too much right now." 

She smiled again, that same warm smile Harry received from Mrs. Weasley when he stopped by. 

"Harry, can you tell me why you fell in love with Severus?" 

Harry faltered at the question, not at all expecting it, "What?" 

"Why did you fall in love with him? I can see how much you do love him, so I would like to get to know the beginnings of your flowering affection." 

Harry couldn't help the blush and small smile that surfaced to his face as he thought back to all those years ago. 

"Severus was asked by Dumbledore to teach me Occlumency during my fifth year, because Voldemort kept sending me visions, some false and others real, we needed to keep him out of my mind." Harry started, "He was so cruel as he taught me, not even giving me enough time to wrap my head around what I was learning. Until he provoked me and I preformed Legilimency on him and invaded his mind. After that... I don't know what happened but, we somehow grew closer through the lessons and before I knew it I had this awful crush on him and couldn't help but blush every time he looked at me. It was only when he almost died from Nagini's bite when I realized I loved him and never even said anything.

"He was the only one who didn't put me up on this golden pedestal because I was the 'Chosen One' or "the Boy Who Lived' or any of that bull, he saw me as any other student, as any other person even if he was a little harsher on me. And he always told me the truth. When others would sugar coat things or straight out keep things from me that had to do with my life or blatantly lied, he always told me the truth. No matter how bad it was."

Harry sighed, "I fell in love with him I supposed because he saw _me_ , rather than the poster-boy persona people liked to give me. And when we first started dating, officially after I left school, he was so sweet, and was such the romantic," He was crying now, "I don't know where it all went wrong." 

\- - - 

Harry wasn't ready to talk to Severus or even about him with Ron and Hermione until two months later. 

Diana didn't seem upset with Harry or mad with how slowly he was taking to recover and open up about what was really going on inside his head. She actually seemed pleased after every one of their sessions, enough to where now they only met three times a week compared to six. 

Harry had put on weight finally and looked like himself by this time. And he felt much closer to the person he was before everything happened. 

It was during their last session of the week when Harry brought it up, "I think I could talk to him now," Harry stated, "I think I could say everything I feel- felt." 

"That's good Harry," She smiled broadly, "That means you are realizing that this is not simply your fault, and that it is time to put everything bad and hurt in the past and move on." 

He returned her smile and nodded, "I am ready for that, to move on." He took a deep breath, "Depending on what happens too, I may need help looking for a divorce lawyer. I want to be _really happy_ for once. It's been too long since I felt that way." 

She nodded, "Of course, you have every right to be happy, and if that means for you and Severus to get a divorce, then that's what you should do." 

"I know that now, thankfully," Harry said with a slightly saddened expression.

It was another two weeks before Diana brought Severus to a session. She wanted Harry to talk about what Harry would say to him first, so he didn't shut down when he say the man.

 

Harry was told to wait in the room while Diana fetched Severus. And while Harry was ready to face Severus for all that has happened, he was not ready for the emotions that would hit him when he saw the man for the first time in months. 

They sat in silence as Diana served them all tea before she spoke up, "I have explained to you why you are here, Severus," She started, "We are here to help Harry with his recovery, to becoming whole again." The man nodded and kept his dark eyes trained on Harry. 

"Of course," He started, "What did you want to talk about Harry?" 

Harry took a deep breath, ignoring his pounding heart and the nausea surfacing, "Lots of things. Mainly why I wanted to kill myself." Severus flinched at the blunt statement, "It was because I lost my world." 

"I have loved you for many years Severus," Harry stated, not looking at anyone or anything in particular, believing if he looked his husband in the eyes he wouldn't be able to finish what he started, "I can't put into words how much I loved you, and I can't tell you how much it hurt me when you started sneaking out at night." 

Harry ignored the sound of surprise, "I knew, if you couldn't connect the dots, that you left for another at night. I remember every night you left, and every morning you returned. I never got any sleep on those nights, and very little the nights you stayed home. But, I never knew why you left. I thought I wasn't performing as your husband, as a lover as you wished, since you kept turning away my advances. I blamed myself for you leaving.

"I don't think you noticed, but I stopped eating along with the rare sleep I had. I cut myself, and I mentally berated myself for how I ruined our marriage. It was all my fault. That's why I slit my wrists." He got the courage to look up at Severus, "The night you left and never came home until I was already up the next morning, the morning I tried to kill myself. It was the day after our anniversary. You left me for someone else on the anniversary of out marriage." Harry spat, unable to hold back his fury and sadness at the fact. 

Severus was at a loss for words, both Harry and Diana could see that, and Harry was not surprised that he would be. 

And then Severus said something Harry didn't expect, "If you knew the entire time, why did you allow it to go on?" Harry didn't read into the tone of his voice. He didn't want to.

"I didn't want to lose you." 

"How could you allow me to do that to you?" Severus said with a slightly raised voice. Harry realized then that Severus wasn't denying he has been having an affair. 

Harry gave him a bitter and teary eyed smile, "Because I love you. You may have stopped loving me, but I never stopped loving you." 

That must have hit Severus hard, because he became silent for a long while. 

"I," Harry looked to Diana for emotional support and she smiled and nodded, giving him the reassurance he needed, "I don't think we should continue like this anymore." 

"What are you saying?" Severus snapped and Harry tried hard not to wince. 

"I think we should get a divorce." Harry said without faltering, "I know you must be unhappy with how you chose to leave me at night, so I believe we should just call this all quits, and go our separate ways." 

"Why couldn't we work this out?" Now Severus seemed like he was becoming upset with the prospect of leaving Harry for good. 

"Because, I wish to be happy, and I can't be happy with you having an affair behind my back. Look," Harry took a sip of his tea to clear his throat, "This has been going on for far too long, and I can't go on any longer. I don't want to know why you did it, or who you were leaving me for. I don't need to know, I've accepted the fact that it has happened and that I'm not the problem." 

Severus's face screwed up into an intense look Harry remembers from his school days when Neville melted a cauldron on potions. 

"Nobody has to know why we are getting a divorce. It can be a private ordeal, I don't even want anything from you, you could even keep the house." Harry added, feeling lighter and better as he spoke. This was what he needed. 

Harry watched as Severus bristled and eventually deflated and became rigid all at once. "You're right, we will get a divorce. I'll contact a solicitor for the matter. If I may, I need some fresh air." He said as he stood, looking to Diana. 

"Of course, I'll be out in a bit to sign you out." She said and smiled at him as he left the room. Diana waited a beat before speaking up again, "How do you believe that went, Harry?" 

"Good, I feel better, lighter... Freer if you will," He smiled, "I still love him, terribly," Harry added feeling his eyes fill with unshed tears, "I still love him, but I know I have to let go. I need to let him go. I wish I could still be happy with him, but... but he acknowledged what he did to me, why I wanted to kill myself, and yet... There's nothing there. Like he doesn't care." 

"I have a feeling," Diana started, "That after you are out of his life for good, then he will realize. I have loved getting to know _Harry,_ as you like to say, and I know you will move on and be happy. You are a wonderful person who has a bigger heart than I can even hope to have," Her eyes crinkled at the edges as she smiled, "Everything will be alright. Now, let me go check Severus out and we will talk some more." 

Diana was not gone for long, ten minutes at max, but it only felt like a handful to Harry since he had so much on his mind. What was going to happen now. 

"I have a few lawyers in mind if you'd like to get a jumpstart on divorce paperwork, they all work and specialize in cases such as yours." 

"Thank you, I'd appreciate that." Harry said sincerely. 

The witch nodded and kept a small smile on her lips, "After all this is done and over with, I think you'll be able to leave. I think this closure will be good for you to start a new chapter." 

"I'd like that. Ron and Hermione have offered me a room at their place until I have my things squared away." 

"That's nice of them, have they had any success with a baby?"

"No, sadly, but I think they won't have long to wait for an announcement, they kept sharing glances when I spoke to them last week." Harry smiled, "They'd make great parents." 

"I think so too." It was a sweet note to end on for that day. 

\- - - 

After the divorce was finalized, Harry still had another week's worth of sessions with Diana just in case he had an doubts, which he surprisingly didn't. He was content with the outcome of everything. 

Neither of them kept the house, they sold it and split the profits to different charities. Harry's half went to the Mental Ward at St. Mungos, because they had helped him through on of the darkest points of his life, and Severus gave his to Hogwarts. 

"Now Harry," Diana said as she gathered her things, getting ready to close his file, "What do you wish to do now?" 

Harry grinned, "Well... I'm actually leaving tomorrow for Morocco, I've decided to travel. No where in particular and I don't know how long I'll be at it, but... I think this is what I'm supposed to do now. Plus my friend Luna said I would find happiness of shores, and she's always had this thing where she just _knows_ what's going to happen." 

"Thats wonderful to hear Harry!" She beamed, "Why start with Morocco?" 

"It was the place my finger landed on when I spun the globe," Harry answered truthfully, "After Morocco, to Egypt, but after that, it's wherever my heart takes me." 

"I hope you do follow your heart, and follow your instincts as well, they tend to be right." 

After his last session with Diana, he did take off to Morocco, then to Egypt, and many other places as well. 

 

He spent enough time in Egypt though he didn't need to use a translation spell for Arabic, and enough time in Italy for the same effect to happen with Italian. 

Harry didn't speak with Severus for a long time, even after he stopped his traveling and ended settling in Verona, Italy. And that was quite some time, seeing as he bought his home in Italy two and a half years after his divorce, and he was already awaiting his twenty-sixth birthday. 

When he did finally speak with his ex-husband, it was in the summer and was stiff and too formal at first, Severus was in town for a potions conference. But after Harry had to keep reminding himself to speak in English and not Italian, they laughed and relaxed into a more familiar way. 

 

"You know, you do have a slight Italian accent when you speak, which isn't surprising with how long you've been here." Severus commented. 

"Do I really? Did I lose my British charm too?" He teased, refilling the man's glass of wine. 

"Unfortunately you haven't," He said with a small smile, "It's been quiet in Britain without you, there's no more scandalous articles in the _Prophet_ since you left." 

"Oh really? Thank Merlin, I'm glad I floo straight to the Burrow whenever I visit, or else I'd probably be mobbed." 

Silences wrapped around them like a friendly glow, not at all awkward as it was earlier in the evening. 

"I don't think I'll ever find the proper words to tell you how sorry I am," Severus started, swirling the red liquid in his glass, "I didn't realize what I had done to you until I realized you had left the country. I was horrible, and selfish, and a complete bastard and won't ask for your forgiveness because of it." 

Harry let a smile take over his features, "I know, it's alright, I have forgiven you long ago. Everything that has happened is in the past, and I no longer hold it against you." 

"Thank you," Severus said breathlessly, "I still beat myself up for letting you go. I never truly understood what I was losing." 

Harry simply nodded, not commented on his ex-husband's words. There was nothing to say on it anyway. 

"What are you doing out here anyways?" Severus asked as he polished off his glass, declining Harry's offer of more. 

"I teach art at the local muggle upper secondary school, which it high school aged kids." Harry said with pride, "Most of them are very talented too."

"You seem happy," Severus said, "Are you?" 

Harry thought about the question long and hard. After all, was he?

"I am," Harry smiled sweetly to himself, "I haven't found some things I've been looking for, but I am content and happy with where I am right now in this moment." 

Severus smiled too, he couldn't help it, when Harry smiled, he lit up the room, "I'm glad to hear that." 

"Are you happy Severus?" 

Severus also took his time answering this question, "I suppose. I opened an apothecary in Diagon Alley and things have been going well so far." 

"That's wonderful to hear," Harry beamed remembering how that was one of Severus's dreams after he established himself after the war, "I hope it continues going well." 

Harry offered for Severus to stay the night, as it got late without either of them noticing. Severus declined, he had already check into his hotel, and simply apparated to the hotel after they said their goodbyes. 

After talking with Severus, Harry felt like the door he closed long ago finally locked and was to never be opened again. Being able to be normal around his ex-husband, and for him to know that he forgave Severus for the mental turmoil he went through, he felt like everything finally came to close. 

 

It was a Saturday night a month later when Harry decided to go out, something he rarely did since the school started up again. 

He went to a new opening at a local art gallery, it had a free bar with admission, and Harry thought it was the perfect place to get his mind off of things. 

Harry nursed a single glass of white wine as he silently moved from one piece of artwork to the next. He was surprised with how much this type of thing spoke to him, how well he fit into the role of an art teacher. He found where he belonged without even thinking. 

"What do you think of this one?" A deep voice asked from behind Harry that started the man. 

Without looking to where the voice was coming from, he answered, "I think it's beautiful. I never knew sorrow and sadness could be such a beautiful expression on a canvas. The artist must have a way with painting how someone feels with simply colors and stroke of a brush." 

Harry watched the person move from behind him to a dark mass to his side. When Harry looked, he was pleasantly surprised by the image. 

The man stood nearly a foot taller than himself, which wasn't a hard feat since Harry never made it taller than five-foot-six. After a lingering look of the man's broad shoulders and strong jaw, Harry saw a head of dark brown curls that complimented the man's tan complexion. He didn't look much older that himself, if not the same age. 

Then the man turned to look at him, "Is that how you see this painting?" And suddenly Harry wasn't thinking about the art, but at how deep the man's dark blue eyes were. 

"Yes," He answered, slightly breathless and quickly looked back at the painting, "What do you think?" 

He shrugged, "I'm not sure, I very much like your response rather than anything I thought before." 

Harry's lips quirked up to an impish smile, "Is that so?" 

"It is, even if I am the one who painted it." He returned the mischievous smile with one of his own, and Harry was lost at how nice the expression was on his face. 

"You painted this?" He asked, his eyes darting to the name plate, _Loren Russo_. 

"I did. Do you really like it?" The nervous tone made Harry a bit confused, but let it slide for now. 

So Harry nodded, never losing his grin, "I think it's a beautiful piece, of course I like it." 

"That's really nice to hear. This is the first exhibit I've done, so I was nervous and anxious for how the crowds would take it all in." He explained. 

"I don't think you have to worry," Harry said and snuck a glance at his companion as he moved to the next piece, the man following him, "I've heard nothing but positive comments on your art as long as I've been here." 

"Well," He stuffed his hands into the pockets of his trousers, the gesturing being far to much boyish for his sophisticated get-up of slacks and a blazer, "Your opinions have been the only ones I've been interested in since you walked in. You're more beautiful than any piece of art I have created." 

And Harry flushed, a bright and vibrant shade of red at the compliment, not at all expecting that, "I-I--" 

"I know I don't even know your name," He said with a nervous laugh, "But could I take you out? On a date?"

Harry got a hold of himself and gave Loren a smile, "Well, you could introduce yourself and try asking again. I'd like to know who's asking me out first before I respond." Harry said as if he didn't look at the name plate of who's art exhibit this was. 

It was his turn to flush red, "R-Right, where are my manors. My name is Loren Russo, it's nice to meet you." He said and held a hand out to Harry. 

Harry grinned, "I'm Harry Potter, it's nice to meet you too, Loren," He replied, liking the way the name rolled of his tongue, and shook the man's hand. And he tried to suppress the gasp at the tingle of magic on his hand. 

Loren's eyes looked calculating at him, "Now that we have had the necessary introductions, I would very much like to take you out on a date Harry, if you'll allow me." 

"Hmm," Harry mused looking around the room, "I suppose a date would be alright. I'm only available on the weekends though, if that is alright with you." 

"How's next Saturday?" Loren asked as he grinned broadly, "Could you meet me out front of the gallery?" 

"Sounds perfect." Harry agreed, holding in his excitement at the prospect of going on his first date in years. He never dated nor had flings after Severus. 

Harry spent the rest of the evening letting Loren lead him around the rest of the art exhibit, talking about art and the paintings, to simply each others lives. 

When Harry headed home after the art gallery, he was walking on air. 

Maybe, just maybe this was the last thing he was looking for here. 

Because he knew what that spark and tingle of magic was. Loren was a wizard too, and they were magically compatible. 

And with well he got on with Loren, he knew, just _knew_ , he could find love again with Loren, and he wouldn't even fight it. He would let whatever was meant to be, happen. 

It had to be, because on his date, Loren brought Harry to his favorite cafe, that was ran by a wizard among muggles. And after they talked about their lives among muggles and why they lived such a way with magic literally at their fingertips. He took Harry to the wizarding part of Rome, to a magical garden that was so beautiful and enchanting that Harry didn't want to ever leave. 

It was a simple, and pleasant night, and there were many more to come after it.

**Author's Note:**

> EDIT:  
> 03/04/2018 : PART 2 FINALLY FINISHED!!!


End file.
